The documentary Valentine Road details the heartbreaking story of a young teenager who was ostracized, ridiculed, and ultimately killed, simply because he expressed his true gender identity. Lawrence “Larry” King was a 15-year-old biological male who presented as a female—and was not afraid to wear makeup and feminine clothing. Larry was adopted into a family that physically abused and neglected him; despite his negative and painful childhood, Larry was still capable of positivity and possessing an optimistic perspective of the world around him. Larry was unashamed of his gender fluidity, and his fellow classmates simply could not conceive, or understand this concept. Many students believed that Larry was “shoving [his gender identity] in everyone’s
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I felt sadness upon learning about Larry’s childhood, and how he did not have a stable support system growing up. I felt sadness upon learning that he was a gender nonconformist because I understand the plight of members of the LGBTQIA community in our society—LGBTQIA Americans struggle on a daily basis to achieve the same political and socioeconomic status as heterosexual and cisgender Americans. I was heartbroken to see the way in which Larry’s death affected his friends and members of his community who knew him well. To know that their lives were forever changed on that day—and that they would never again speak to or see Larry—absolutely breaks my heart. Every time a person broke into tears, telling memories of Larry, or speaking about the wonderful person that he was, I felt their pain. I felt the terror and fear of the parents, who waited outside of the school that day to make sure that their child, was still alive and unharmed. Empathy is a wonderful quality to possess because it enables you to understand and connect with the struggles, and triumphs, of others. However, when it comes to tragic events, simply viewing another person’s tears and hearing the pain in their voice, renders you completely …show more content…
Instead of garnering national sympathy to the victim of the heinous crime, the trial garnered support for the defendant. The justifications of Brandon’s actions ranged from the fact that he was only 14 years old when he committed the crime, to the denouncement of his actions as a hate crime. The trial brought to light the intolerance of the community, and those associated with the defendant. According to people who supported the defendant, perhaps if Larry had not been so flamboyant, or rather comfortable with his gender identity, he would not have been killed. This justification voids the defendant of any culpability for his actions, and somehow blames Larry for his own murder. I experienced outrage when I listened to people speak of how they did not “approve” of Larry’s gender fluidity; I was outraged when I learned that various teachers and administrators tried to “repress” his feminine behavior in attempt to assimilate Larry to their accepted social norms. I was outraged when the defense chose jury members that displayed obvious homophobic prejudices, and was further enraged when I viewed jury members showing clear bias towards Brandon McInerney. The attorneys and supporters of the defendant created a “Save Brandon” movement, and yet made no effort to commemorate or mourn the loss of Larry’s innocent life. I was outraged at the intolerance. I was
I felt sadness upon learning about Larry’s childhood, and how he did not have a stable support system growing up. I felt sadness upon learning that he was a gender nonconformist because I understand the plight of members of the LGBTQIA community in our society—LGBTQIA Americans struggle on a daily basis to achieve the same political and socioeconomic status as heterosexual and cisgender Americans. I was heartbroken to see the way in which Larry’s death affected his friends and members of his community who knew him well. To know that their lives were forever changed on that day—and that they would never again speak to or see Larry—absolutely breaks my heart. Every time a person broke into tears, telling memories of Larry, or speaking about the wonderful person that he was, I felt their pain. I felt the terror and fear of the parents, who waited outside of the school that day to make sure that their child, was still alive and unharmed. Empathy is a wonderful quality to possess because it enables you to understand and connect with the struggles, and triumphs, of others. However, when it comes to tragic events, simply viewing another person’s tears and hearing the pain in their voice, renders you completely …show more content…
Instead of garnering national sympathy to the victim of the heinous crime, the trial garnered support for the defendant. The justifications of Brandon’s actions ranged from the fact that he was only 14 years old when he committed the crime, to the denouncement of his actions as a hate crime. The trial brought to light the intolerance of the community, and those associated with the defendant. According to people who supported the defendant, perhaps if Larry had not been so flamboyant, or rather comfortable with his gender identity, he would not have been killed. This justification voids the defendant of any culpability for his actions, and somehow blames Larry for his own murder. I experienced outrage when I listened to people speak of how they did not “approve” of Larry’s gender fluidity; I was outraged when I learned that various teachers and administrators tried to “repress” his feminine behavior in attempt to assimilate Larry to their accepted social norms. I was outraged when the defense chose jury members that displayed obvious homophobic prejudices, and was further enraged when I viewed jury members showing clear bias towards Brandon McInerney. The attorneys and supporters of the defendant created a “Save Brandon” movement, and yet made no effort to commemorate or mourn the loss of Larry’s innocent life. I was outraged at the intolerance. I was